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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jan 16, 2022 9:30:39 GMT -8
He muttered something under his breath that Anya couldn't make out. The scars on her palm had already caught his interest. Now that it had, it would only cast suspicion if she continued to try to keep it hidden beyond the idea that she might simply be self conscious about it or have a hard time dealing with curious questions, which younger people weren't shy about asking and weren't emotionally mature enough to overlook their curiosity to realize when someone didn't want to talk about something.
"Oh, these?" she asked softly, downplaying it as she turned her hand over and unfurled her fingers a little for a peek at her palm. "When I was seven the, um..." Anya paused, looking down at her palm. She was beginning to get choked up with emotion and cleared her throat, getting control over them and trying to disconnect from them. This was still difficult to talk about and she wasn't sure if there'd ever be a time when it wasn't.
She found it was easier to keep her eyes downcast for seeing any emotions flickering across the faces of the very few people she told this story to made it harder for her to keep her own emotions under control. "The house caught fire. I was on the second floor." She started tracing the many overlaying lines with her thumb, recalling the memories she had of how she'd gotten them. The doorknob had been startlingly hot when she'd grasped it that she'd torn her hand away before she could turn it. The short contact had already burned the ornate design onto her palm. But there was no other escape and the fire was raging, burning through the house so quickly. She'd reached out again but this time, with the lack of surprise at its burning touch, she was able to turn it and flee, barely making it through the flames that were already consuming her doorway and most of the house with only the burns on her palm remaining as evidence and a few first degree burns that had faded with time. "The door was the only way out."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jan 22, 2022 8:17:06 GMT -8
His first reaction to all her storytelling about where she had gotten that scar was, once again, a muttered "Interesting" before he realized that this must come off unpolite. Yes, he surely was not the right person to comfort somebody, so it was obvious that Severus didn't feel very comfortable himself right now; Especially since it seemed that the girl was getting choked up with emotions while she did. At least, due to his own uncomfortableness, Severus wasn't wondering at all about her not looking him into the eyes.
When a long pause followed her words, Severus tried to build that eye contact, after all, as it didn't sound like this was all to the story. Of course, it wasn't. With no word, she had told him about the scar in her palm yet. So, after all, Severus made an effort to forward this conversation as much as he didn't like to do that, trying to sound as empathetic as he could, still coming off rather cold and distant, though. "What happened?"
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Feb 5, 2022 14:15:36 GMT -8
He muttered something under his breath again but did not show an emotional reaction to what she'd told him. Anya was immensely grateful for that. When other people showed an emotional reaction, it was harder to keep your own emotions under control and the last thing she wanted was to become a blubbering mess. It was uncomfortable to show such deep emotions, especially to a virtual stranger. Anya would forever feel awkward and uncomfortable around him if she'd had. Still though, it was easier to keep one's emotions in check when they avoided eye contact, so Anya kept her attention fixated on her hands, most especially on the scars that she was still trying to figure out.
"What happened?"
But... she'd just told him. Confused by the question, this finally drew her attention. She looked back up to study his expression and realized he was not talking about the past, but the present. "I...don't exactly know what happened," she said in partial honesty. Again, she looked down because it was uncomfortable for her to even bring up this next part. "Someone found my journal. It had some very personal things in it. He was starting to loudly announce what he'd read and I..." she squirmed because it must sound ridiculous and petty to an outsider, "I felt threatened and suddenly, there was this storm surrounding me..." She looked up, trying to defend her actions. "Everyone has things about them they don't want people to know. But still, I didn't conjure it on purpose. I don't know how I did it."
Nearly the whole truth, though a certain important variable held back. Anya didn't know how she'd done it, but she was still leery about revealing that she was sure it had to do with the scarring on her palm as even for this world of magic, it seemed out of place.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Feb 23, 2022 4:36:31 GMT -8
"I...don't exactly know what happened,""Someone found my journal. It had some very personal things in it. He was starting to loudly announce what he'd read and I..."
For the first time during their conversation, emotions could be read from his face, although only from little movements of his nostrils and jawline. If one believed it or not, Severus well understood the feeling of being publicly humiliated, as that was part of his past; A past long ago yet still all too fresh in his mind. While people might change - might regret their pubertal behavior - a victim never forgets.
When she looked back up at him, Severus' eyes still fixated hers, yet at the same time were somewhere far away.
"I felt threatened and suddenly, there was this storm surrounding me..."
The mentioning of that storm threw him out of his memories like a storm indeed. He was not here to remember things.
"Everyone has things about them they don't want people to know. But still, I didn't conjure it on purpose. I don't know how I did it."
"Has something like that happened before? Maybe not to... that extent.. but comparable as for a reaction to such emotions?" Severus suddenly asked, once again, cold and distant, as he was digging for more information. "I just want to..." For some reason, this was hard for him to verbalize, especially since he didn't know if that really was his intention, "help you."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 12, 2022 12:13:31 GMT -8
"Has something like that happened before? Maybe not to... that extent.. but comparable as for a reaction to such emotions?"
He struck the nail so squarely on the head that it caught Anya off guard. The wide-eyed look of panic as she paled spoke the truth, though Anya held her tongue with the fear that Marius has instilled in her over the importance of not ever telling anyone of the events of the past or the scarring or basically, anything at all. She was to steer the conversation away or let Marius handle it. But, again, Marius was not here and she wasn't sure when, or if, he would be again.
"I just want to..." "help you."
His natural demeanor seemed to be cold and distant. The pause and the way he seemed to struggled gave Anya the impression that he did care once he was able to get conquer the feat of getting past his natural state to get the words out.
Anya's own natural state crumbled and in a rare moment, the pain and fear of one who felt so deeply lost and alone was clearly showing on her face. She looked down again, losing her battle to hold back tears that silently started to escape. She nodded in answer to his previous question but did not offer more yet, though it was clear she badly needed someone she could talk to about all this. "He said I shouldn't tell anyone anything, that it would only get me in trouble or put me in danger or get me thrown into some scary place called Azkaban." She quickly swiped the back of her sleeve over her face, hating to show tears in front of someone. "He said he was the only person I could talk to and that he was the only one who knew what was happening and the only one who could help me." She swiped the tears away again, this time with anger and hurt, the rest of her words spilling out of her in a tone that showed the anger, hurt, frustration, and fear all overwhelmingly ganging up on her at once. "But now he's gone, without a word, and I don't know when he'll be back and things are getting worse and scarier and more out of my control and I don't know who I can trust or who could help me or who would even understand what was wrong with me because, apparently, nobody else is like me and I'm some sort of 'freak'..." she said, using Scorpius' common term for her.
As the words poured out of her, one of the runes on her palm had begun to glow as the new feeling of breaking her promise to Marius with each word she spoke mixed in along with all those already overwhelming emotions, stirring up the beginnings of a strange wind in a room closed off from such elements.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 26, 2022 3:44:07 GMT -8
Severus saw himself confronted with a lot, as the words kept flying out of her mouth, same as the tears out of her eyes. He really was the wrong person for this, but, on the other hand, for some reason, he felt like he actually was. Especially her last words, about being a freak, once again, threw him back into his own past. He got called a freak many times, although for different reasons, so his next words came out rather naturally, not overthinking so much this time.
"A freak is nothing but a poor word to describe a person people do not understand. But that doesn't mean..." Severus stopped in the middle of his sentence when, suddenly, a strange wind, within a closed room at that, started to stir around them. His eyes quickly wandered back to the symbol on her palm, which had begun to glow. For some seconds, Severus stood like frozen, watching what looked like runes with his mouth open, but then he quickly remembered the effects of the last storm this girl had been evoking.
He took a grip on her shoulders, not tight yet firm enough to get her full attention back. "Listen! You're out of danger. There's nothing here that can hurt you," Severus stressed, although he still tried to speak as calm as possible. She had to stop this before anyone got hurt, and also before anyone would witness this.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 26, 2022 19:56:28 GMT -8
He had started speaking to her, but Anya was too busy trying to get under control something she had no idea how to control before it became out of control. Having no knowledge of how to control this thing, she looked to the professor and could see by his expression that he wouldn't have the answer either. Anya felt the stirring of panic and that panic was feeding the chaos magic. She felt her sight blurring as her breathing became more erratic as she started heading for a panic attack.
"Listen! You're out of danger. There's nothing here that can hurt you,"
Anya could feel a grip on her shoulders. She tried concentrating on it, drawing strength from it. Somehow, it helped slow down the spiraling and helped her feel more grounded. She repeated his words in her head. 'Out of danger. Nothing here that can hurt you.' This is a safe place. I have to trust him. I have no other choice. Sight unblurring, she concentrated on him and saw nothing but strength and support being offered by him despite the unknown. He made no move of abandoning her, no attempt to remove himself from the potential danger this might pose to him. I can trust him. Anya took a gulp of air, attempting to normalize her breathing and held it before shakily letting it out. She kept attempting the same whenever she could through the erratic breaths, slowly regaining control over her panic which seemed to dissipate the effects around them. This thing seemed to be very much connected to her emotions or feelings, particularly the ones linked to danger or fear. She couldn't give in to those feelings. That realization, that little bit of knowledge, it helped her feel the beginnings of control. She closed her eyes and fisted her hands with determination. I'm the danger. I'm not alone. This is a safe place. Calm yourself. Calm yourself.
Feeling herself calming, she could sense the wind around her calming as well. The glow that had been shining through her fisted fingers began to dissipate. Anya opened her eyes again, still taking in slow, deep breaths and letting them out slowly. Her breathing steady now, she looked for reassurance from the professor. Had she done this on her own? Had it been that simple or had he provided some sort of magical assistance?
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 30, 2022 5:04:58 GMT -8
Keeping his silence and, also, his attention on her, Severus had become a watcher only, although he still tried to give her comfort with his firm grip around her shoulders, to ground her somehow. And, after all, it seemed to work. Still, it was her alone who won control over the situation, and especially her inner storm. Although Severus didn't know this girl and never thought he would care for anyone again, except for Lily, he was kind of proud of this strength. "Good..." it even escaped him in a whispered tone when not only her but also the air around them calmed.
When the girl opened her eyes again, looking at him in anticipation, Severus relinquished the grip a little yet didn't let up on her completely. "Good..." he repeated, still quiet but now more audible than before, especially since he had her attention back now. "Well... done."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Apr 2, 2022 9:17:18 GMT -8
Subtly studying him since opening her eyes, she saw no fear, no admonishing, no judging. Not even a hint of reprimanding, as she'd kind of anticipated. She gathered that's what she'd have gotten from Marius in this moment after his innumerable warnings of being cautious and not losing control. And very publicly, no less. She imagined that if he'd been here, he'd be pacing right now, his mind whirling with plans of what lies they'd come up with to pass this all off as something normal. A prank, perhaps, pulled by an inexperienced student trying a spell far out of their experience level. Anything to avoid casting suspicion on them. Or was it mostly himself and whatever he was always quietly working on that he was concerned with? He never would tell her what it was, though it definitely felt it had to do with what was going on with her, the way he'd study and test her, then take all his scribblings and hide himself away.
Not seeing that same air of scheming about Professor Boyle, nor the studied looks and airs about him that made her feel a bit the lab rat, Anya began to wonder for the first time if she'd gotten it backward. She was an oddity, to be sure, but what if Marius wasn't her selfless hero with her best interests at heart? What if his interest wasn't in helping her, but in studying her? What if he put the fear into her to be careful simply because he wanted to be the only one who knew?
While she was still worried about consequences, in Boyle's calmness, she was no longer gripped with fear over it. Anya had been made completely dependent on Marius' help and guidance and had no idea how to handle a situation that was foreign to her in the still somewhat foreign magical world. She began to rub her furrowed brow as questions began to overwhelm her mind. Feeling a trust begin to grow, she turned to Boyle now to seek his help and guidance. "What should I tell the Ministry people if they show up? Am I in trouble? Will they take me to Azkaban?"
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Apr 3, 2022 1:30:07 GMT -8
"What should I tell the Ministry people if they show up? Am I in trouble? Will they take me to Azkaban?"
"To...? No," Severus shook his head slightly. Why would she think she might end up in Azbakan for something she didn't cast on purpose? Sure, they had no proof that she didn't - that was if they would be going to tell the ministry in the first place - but it took a lot more to get sent to prison. He wondered where she had heard of Azkaban in the first place since it seemed that she was still new to the whole wizarding world.
"We shouldn't tell the Ministry people the whole truth, though," Severus added, a little thoughtful. He didn't like that those were around, not only because of this dilemma but also for personal reasons. They had to get rid of them somehow. Severus didn't even like to think this, but there came only one person to his mind who would have a bearing on them; One working in the rows of the Governors of Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy. "But it would be of use to bring somebody else in..."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Apr 17, 2022 13:35:20 GMT -8
"To...? No,"
He sounded slightly surprised by her question and again, she found herself feeling silly for her lack of knowledge of this world. However, this fell more under misinformation. Marius had taken off, no longer around as her only source of communication and information. Anya had started to feel some doubts toward the blind trust she'd had in Marius but had held onto it nonetheless. Now, though, a small fracture began to form in that trust and she started to question if perhaps his constant presence had held a second intent; he was no longer around to hover and monitor who she did or did not talk to or keep her curiosities at bay so that she would not ask certain questions of others.
"We shouldn't tell the Ministry people the whole truth, though,"
Now that fell more in line with the way Marius operated. Perhaps he wasn't completely untrustworthy? Or perhaps Anya was blinded by a decade's worth of desperation to find a replacement for that kind of familial bond of someone she could completely rely on that she'd once had as a little girl.
"But it would be of use to bring somebody else in..."
"Who?" she asked, hoping it was someone she already had been feeling comfortable around, but before she could ponder further, the whistle of the train sounded in the near distance. "They're back," she said in slight panic for having to soon face the people who'd been there again. She must have lost track of the time. Anya looked to the clock on the wall and saw that her assumption regarding the time had been wrong. "They're back early." She looked back at Boyle, eyes wide and high stress levels with the events of today still so fresh that her chaotic magic was still on a hair trigger, panic started to rise toward concerning levels with each worrying thought. Why were they back early? Who had the authority to not only cut the trip early, but to alter the train schedule? "The Ministry. They showed up at Hogsmeade, didn't they? And they're probably here now, aren't they?"
Anya looked down at her tingling palm and saw a symbol glowing and standing out from the rest. It wasn't the same one as before and there was no wind. She couldn't recall what this one stood for and didn't dare think on it too much, afraid it might panic her further, as would the vines she didn't notice slowly growing up through the cracks of the infirmary's stone tile floor around her bed, intertwining as it slowly worked its way out into a further radius and up the wall behind her bed, curling and intertwining tightly around anything it encountered; bed legs, nightstand legs...Boyle's legs. Thankfully, she remained unaware of it as she fisted her palm and tried to concentrate on finding the calm that had settled the last round. It was a far more difficult feat with how Marius had conditioned her to fear the Ministry and knowing they were now marching off the train at this moment, coming for her when she and Boyle hadn't had time yet to form any plans. She looked to Boyle in panic, hoping to draw some strength from his reassurances and guidance.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on May 6, 2022 6:02:45 GMT -8
Before Severus could have answered her question of who to get into the boat, she suddenly fell into panic mode again, triggered by the whistle of the train. They were, indeed, back way too early to say that she might be wrong with her assumption. As little as this girl, Severus wasn't looking forward to being surrounded by The Ministry. But because he had interfered with this business in the first place, he couldn't just leave on his own now. A curse upon his helper syndrome, which he'd thought had been gone with Harry Potter and his own official dead.
While the girl continued with questions full of panic, Severus tried to stay calm, thinking in silence, when, suddenly, the girl's palm was glowing once again. Now, that was not exactly the best moment for another demonstration of her powers. The Ministry would be up here in no time.
Although Severus noticed the vines growing up around his legs as well, he kept his focus on Anya. "Good, calm yourself. Breathe," he uttered very slowly and calmly while giving her a slight nod of approval towards the strength she was bringing up already. Of course, they had to come up with a plan very quickly, but before they could, it was important not to cause any more damage and, above all, attention. "Breathe."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on May 14, 2022 16:47:47 GMT -8
Anya did as instructed, breathing in, letting it out slowly. The vines started to disappear back to where they'd come from. Something pink caught the corner of her eye and Anya looked to see, seeing a flower that had bloomed from the greenery that was suddenly on the wall behind her. She plucked it before it could disappear, staring at it in wonder. Had her strange form of magic created this? She glanced around her, noticing the greenery of the vines and the colorful flowers sporadically sprinkled amongst them for the first time just as they were disappearing back into the cracks of the stone floor.
For the first time, she found something that wasn't scary and was actually positive about her magic. It wasn't just chaos, not just events that could--that have--harmed people or getting into places she wasn't supposed to. But figuring out how to choose what would happen and how to control when it did or did not happen, that was the part that felt impossible in this moment. Still, there was this new blossom of hope and she would try to hold onto that thought. Turning the stem of the flower between her fingers, Anya looked up from it to Boyle with the hint of finding a small piece of positivity on her face that reflected the thoughts and revelations that had just worked through her mind.
Calmed again and ignoring the fact that the Ministry was probably here, Anya looked at Boyle apologetically for these outbursts that were not in her usual character. "Sorry. I'm usually calm and levelheaded," she tried to reassure and pushed on, trying to back up her claim. "What should I say and not say to them," she asked, putting the conversation about the person who could help them on the backburner as they probably had a more pressing issue heading their way. "Do I... have to say anything at all?"
Anya had never been caught for the things she did in the Muggle world but her foster family, or more appropriately, the ring of thieves she'd been pulled into had instructed that should they ever be caught, all they needed to do was tell the authorities to contact the foster parents and say you won't speak to them until your lawyer was present. Anya wondered if the magical world even had lawyers, let alone, the same rules, laws, and rights, for that matter. There was also the thought that Anya had always imagined that remaining silent made it obvious you were hiding something and therefore, that you were guilty of something. It was a catch-22 when you actually were guilty of something, which was Anya's current conundrum.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jun 1, 2022 4:33:19 GMT -8
Severus' eyes were going to wander down to his leg to check if he was free from the vines, yet when he saw something positive, something somewhat hopeful, upon the girl's features, he stopped halfway to it. He didn't want to remind her of the harm her powers were able to cause as it seemed that, finally, she was seeing something else in them. Severus had never been one who saw the lights and darks of something as something symbolizing good and evil. Each side had a right to exist, just as their positive and negative aspects in equal shares. Glad to see that thought reflecting on the girl's face, he eased some more himself.
"Sorry. I'm usually calm and levelheaded,"
Severus was not really going to comment on that, yet, inwardly, he would do it like who is through and through their usual anyway? On the outward, he remained silent and unreadable, as usual.
"What should I say and not say to them,""Do I... have to say anything at all?"
Good question, he thought as he remained silent for some more seconds. It was hard to say what was the best way when deal with the Ministry; One reason why Severus loved to stay away from any public authorities in the first place, even at a time when he'd been still officially alive. "I don't think there is a... right way to do it." Whatever you're going to say, they will turn your words into what they like to hear, Severus added only in thoughts. "I even dare to say that it's less about words, but instead, about stance." Severus always had a stance and attitude that made people not want to speak to him, at all; Much less to discuss with him.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jun 4, 2022 15:23:47 GMT -8
The sound of more voices filling the hallway signified the possible closing in of any ministry that may have arrived along with the students. Anya really hoped they hadn't. Maybe they hadn't even been summoned to Hogsmeade. Maybe the whole situation had remained under the radar.
That was merely her hope, a dream scenario, but Anya had come to accept years ago that her hopes and dreams went unanswered. She could only depend on her own wits, so she tried to gather them now, taking Boyle's suggestion of stance to heart. She squared her shoulders and pushed aside the remaining threads of fear and emotions that seemed to be a trigger to her problems. "Who do you recommend that we bring in? Should they be here if the ministry shows up to talk to me?"
Whoever Professor Boyle had in mind would need to be filled in on an abnormal situation in perhaps a little to no window of time.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jun 5, 2022 2:37:41 GMT -8
Severus was glad, slightly proud even, to see her meeting with his words of advice, seeing the anxiety pushed into the background. That was not only good for her stance, but also the control over her powers. The last thing they needed was another demonstration of them, especially with the ministry around.
"Who do you recommend that we bring in? Should they be here if the ministry shows up to talk to me?"
"Mr. Malfoy," he answered straightforwardly. "Draco." As much as this idea was colliding with his inner compass, he was the only one who could convince the ministry people, as Severus learned that he had gained himself the ability to play with words and authorities. Something that Severus never had the patience for.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jun 5, 2022 14:28:44 GMT -8
Her heart fluttered as her mind went immediately to Callum, but logic, and Boyle's clarification, set her straight.
"Oh," she said in mild surprise before relaxing back against the propped pillows, looking a bit more at ease over who he had in mind. Mr. Malfoy was already in on her situation--sort of, if you count him having been present for her meltdown outside--and he'd been nothing but kind to her since day one. She already had some form of a trust built up there, which was far more comforting than if Boyle would have suggested someone she'd hardly interacted with.
But then she recalled his very personal connection to the two who'd been most affected by her loss of control at Hogsmeade and started to worry her fingers while some of the ease she'd found dissipated. She'd made mention of Callum and Scorpius' entanglement in a vague, watered-down telling of what had happened and he hadn't flinched or turned against her in the least. But once he gets the full story, especially if he hears it from Scorpius, who would no doubt paint a horror story of a picture, that might change. "I'm not so sure he'll want to help me after he gets the details of what happened."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jul 4, 2022 2:50:15 GMT -8
"I'm not so sure he'll want to help me after he gets the details of what happened."
"Details that... I... haven't heard.. yet?" Severus asked carefully and patient, yet slightly annoyed on the inside. Students would probably never change when it came to holding back the details of a story. In her case, however, it might be understandable. He was still curious what these mentioned details were about, though. And not just that. If he really shall take this risk of helping her, he had to know everything, especially something that could send him into another argument with Draco. After all, Severus had to be careful himself.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 9, 2022 11:47:27 GMT -8
If Anya was going to entrust Professor Boyle, she was going to have to tell him everything that had happened. At least this would give her the opportunity for someone to hear her side of the story first, before it could have the chance to be colored at all by Scorpius' version. Probably her only opportunity. No doubt Scorpius had already painted his version of the story to the rest of the world by now.
She'd already conveyed the basics to Boyle about someone announcing very personal things from her journal to the public and the storm that ensued, but she fleshed it out with more details and names.
"Scorpius got his hands on my journal. I don't know how, but... anyway, that's not important," she said, brushing that aside. "He started loudly announcing what he'd learned; very personal things. Things that didn't matter to anyone else, but just the same, things I don't want people to know." Anya left out the details of the things that wouldn't cause her trouble, only pitying looks and a change in the way people might act around her. But there was no way to avoid easy conclusions to some of it with the revelation of the secrets that might get her into trouble.
"I wrote about my life before Marius brought me here, before I knew all this existed. I was in a foster family, if you could even call it that," she said disdainfully. Anya looked down, uncomfortable having to reveal that fact, and growing more uncomfortable over what she had to reveal next. "I, um..." she shifted uncomfortably, feeling shame mix in with the discomfort. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she finally looked up, but at a spot before her, unable to look Boyle in the eye. She started with setting up the why before revealing the wizarding world crime part of it. "The foster couple had it all figured out. Take in minors, have them do the dirty work. Nobody ever gets in any real trouble if they get caught." Now she looked down again. "They made us earn our room and board by stealing for them. I had this incredible knack for getting into anywhere or anything, no matter how secure. I thought it was just luck but... I think I was using magic without realizing it."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Aug 8, 2022 6:22:42 GMT -8
Severus was glad when the girl opened up some more. He knew he might not seem like the most trustful person, but there had never been a secret that he couldn't keep. Maybe that even was one of the reasons why he got so dark over time. As for his appearance, that was. Some secrets could change people, and back in the times with Albus Dumbledore, he had to keep lots of them.
All throughout Anya's explanation, Severus' features didn't change, but he started to feel somewhat of a connection with her. His own childhood, same as his teenage years, hadn't been easy, but, after all, made him who he was later and still today. Strong on the outside. Nothing more, though.
"I... see," was all he said in the end. There was no need to ask further questions, not for him and not now, at least. But they had to make sure she didn't have to reveal such things to the ministry people, who, surely, already were on their way inside Hogwarts. To prove his assumption, Severus took some steps towards the window, luckily showing parts of the entry area. They were still students gathered outside, telling him that the ministry people had to be as well. Undoubtfully, they would also want to get a word with the headmaster. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately in their case, he was not around, so they would have to settle for his substitute: him.
"You are lucky to be in my company," Severus finally spoke up again, slowly as usual and only half into his sentence turning back towards her. "I think we should move this conversation to the headmaster's office." He cocked his head a little, raising his eyebrows while he did. This girl seemed smart enough to get a hint, and also to get that he was on her side at this point.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Aug 13, 2022 20:46:44 GMT -8
It had been such a relief to unburden all that weight from her shoulders. With Marius gone, she hadn't had anybody to talk to about the things he'd warned her to keep secret and had been getting fit to bursting. Marius couldn't blame her for having to open up to the man who was Headmaster in his stead, that was, if Marius ever returned.
It was doubly a relief to see that Professor Boyle did not show much reaction to the information she'd been meant to keep secret. Either Marius had been exaggerating or Professor Boyle had the confidence in his ability to tackle any situation in stride, even one highly unusual for this already unusual world. While she wished it was the former, she couldn't fathom why Marius would make such claims. There was also the fact that in this massive school housing hundreds of students, there was not even one other like her. In fact, countless students had found her to be a curiosity in the way she caught them glancing at her every now and again, even some more boldly asking questions that she'd learned to answer her way through, thanks to Marius' guidance early on.
Okay, so it most definitely was the latter. She nodded over his comment over her luck at finding herself in his company. She couldn't agree more and was ready to faithfully follow his instructions as she once at Marius'.
Anya scooted herself out of the bed and stood, straightening her clothes and smoothing out wrinkles. She gave a confident nod toward Professor Boyle and followed his lead to the Headmaster's office.
***Anya and Professor Boyle exit to Hogwarts - Headmaster's Office***
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